Modulation of chemotherapy antineoplastic agents with biologic agents: enhancement of antitumor activities by interleukin-1.

Cytokines or biologic response modifiers in combination with traditional chemotherapeutic agents can be used as therapeutics in patients with cancer. Biologic response modifiers, which are involved in the control and regulation of a wide variety of physiologic activities, have previously been used primarily to enhance or boost host immunologic function. Although immune modulatory therapeutic approaches are yet to be fully realized, biologic response modifiers have also been considered in combination with cytotoxic drugs for their effects on hematopoietic progenitor cells, tumor cells directly, and microvascular endothelial cells. Interleukin-1 is a multifunctional cytokine that not only activates the immune system but also plays a central role in regulating hematopoiesis, has potent effects on vascular function, and has shown significant antitumor activity alone or in combination with various chemotherapeutic agents. As a result, interleukin-1 is an excellent candidate for combination with conventional antineoplastic drugs toward the design of innovative therapeutic approaches to malignancy. This review examines the studies using preclinical animal tumor models as well as the recent phase I clinical trials and includes an overview of their potential for further application.